Kamaria
by Parsat
Summary: With the coming of the white man comes new knowledge and new darkness, united under an imposing logo of red and white. Here is the story of Joshua Jiwe Stone, through his own words.
1. Chapter 1

**This is a new story I'm opening up. Should be about 6-7 chapters. More details to be revealed later.

* * *

July 1, 1995**

My name is Jiwe. I live in the village of Miji in Kijuju.

I received this book as a present from the white woman who came far to teach us English. She called this a diary.

I like to learn English. The way it works feels very funny, but it fits in.

She was not my first English teacher, but she was first to make it interesting.

My wife Kamaria does not like learning English. She is very pretty. I love her very much.

**Jiwe**


	2. Chapter 2

**August 3, 1995**

I have been learning more English every day. Mrs. Wembly (that is my English teacher's name) complimented me on my fast progress, and gave me a thick book called a dictionary, from which I can learn new words. I do not have a doubt that it will be useful.

Today she asked to see me after class, and she told me, "Jiwe, I think it's about time you got a name for yourself."

"But I do have a name. I am Jiwe, which means Stone in Swahili."

And she replied, "That is your native name. Would you like an English name to go with your native name?"

It was an interesting thought. My name had always sufficed for the twenty two rainy seasons that I had lived. In the tribe I lived, though, people could gain new names as their accomplishments became great. Perhaps in England they did the same. So I told her I would take a look.

She opened a chest and took out a book. It wasn't as thick as the dictionary, but it looked a lot older.

"Look into this book. It has many stories and many names to choose. For hundreds of years in England, people have chosen names for their children from this book."

How strange indeed! But I told her, like I always did after the reading or the writing she assigned us, that I would not fail her. Perhaps later this night I will choose a name.

_A very interesting book indeed, like the stories I was told when I was little. There was one story, though that I think I remembered, of a man who was so strong and so big that when he yawned he could shatter clay and make houses fall apart. At least it was like it, but with bigger walls and many little people. Still, I think I like the story better. It reminded me of when Kamaria and I were little, and we tripped and fell through a thatched house onto the man sleeping inside. We were punished severely, but we still remember it with a laugh._

_It's getting late and Kamaria is telling me to go sleep. I think I will._

_**Joshua Jiwe**_


	3. Chapter 3

**The Sun and the Moon**

A folk story by Joshua Jiwe, to Mrs. Wembly

In the old days the sun was the only being in the sky, and there was always light. The sun was a beautiful woman, very helpful to man, but prone to jealousy and fits of anger. She had many servants with her as well, the stars, who served her hand and foot at the time. It was a happy time in the world.

One day the sun's mother, the sky, gave birth to another baby girl, the moon. When she was born everyone could tell she was destined for great things, far beyond that of a mere star servant. Naturally, when the sun heard about it she was furious. But she could do nothing yet. She did not want to offend her mother. And so the moon grew up into a different beauty, dark and at the same time still full of the light. She won the admiration of the people, for unlike the sun she mingled with the people and shared in their labor.

One day the sun grew so jealous that she decided she would kill her sister, regardless of what the mother or the people would say. The sun took a sharp sword, and finding the moon, tried to cut her head off, but the moon was too quick and ran away. The sun gave chase, and to this day the chase continues.

Everyone was shocked. How could Sun dishonor herself to kill her own sister? So the star-servants left to serve the moon. Some of them were sorcerers who could make magical concoctions, and they started to make a salve of invisibility. Now as the moon runs, she rubs herself with the salve, slowly turning herself invisible until it wears off a day after she fully covers herself.

Occasionally, though, the moon and the sun meet, and the moon is not cloaked by invisibility. Then the sky turns dark with their conflict as they battle. It is said that one day the two will meet for the final time and do battle to the death until the truly fairest and capable overthrows the other.


	4. Chapter 4

**December 26, 1995**

Mrs. Wembly just told me that she will be leaving for America by the end of the year. She's taught me so much...I just wished she could have stayed longer, and maybe for me to have studied some more. I suppose it's for the best though. The area is becoming unstable. We hear rumors of the Ten Commandments Insurgency, even though they are in the bordering country and still quite remote from our village.

Today I showed Mrs. Wembly a small place I found when I was a boy. The village called it the Maziwa. It was in a cave that I found it, even though I was not supposed to. When I first went it was a very dark place, and I was only a boy with a torch. Still, I had a feeling that there was something in it. My mother had told me about the fluttering spirits in it, and I saw a few flutter about in the dim light. When I had traveled some way, I found something: a small pool of water that seemed to bubble from the ground. It was held in a beautiful small pool of slick and shiny rock. Out of curiosity I drank the water, and found it to be the purest water I had ever tasted.

At first I did not reveal it. I was afraid I had broken some taboo, but at last I smuggled some of the water from the spring and gave it to Kamaria. It became our secret place when I told her about it. Of course, the villagers were curious, and soon word of the spring spread. Now we have several torches in there that we keep alight to show the way to the Maziwa.

Although Mrs. Wembly had tasted its water, she had never been in there, so I decided I would take her. She was courageous, keeping herself relaxed in that brave way the white men do. She seemed very happy, calling it a wonder from God. She always talked about her God, but I had to agree. Such a wonder could not have existed otherwise.

When we returned I helped her clean her quarters. It was then that she told me about America and how she was set to return. I was sad for her, but I knew she had to return to her place.

I asked her what America was like, and she told me that maybe someday I would come and see what it is like. Perhaps it would be good to see what the outside holds...I have lived in my village for my entire life. Who knows what the future will bring?


	5. Chapter 5

**January 1, 1997**

Mrs. Wembley left today…but not without a surprise. Kamaria is of child! It is the first time anyone has known, for it has taken some time since we first started. I can think of no better person to become a mother than her. Mrs. Wembley called it a blessing from God, and I cannot disagree. We promised to write each other as often as we could, and she promised that she would tell her church about us.

What father will I be like? Strong-willed and disciplined like the warrior side of my mother, or musicians and craftsmen like my father's? Perhaps it will depend on whether it is a boy or a girl. I hope they will inherit Kamaria's beauty and fierce nature.

Kamaria's fierce nature…it is an awesome thing. Nothing seems to frighten her. When she was young she was the fastest runner in the village, beating even boys twice her age. Even still she is a powerful runner, although I suppose having a child will slow her down greatly. Then again, she does occasionally have the bursts of temper from that fierceness, but I do not know whether that will mellow out too.

Mrs. Wembly left me with several books to read and keep my quality of English. She told me that they were very good books and that I would enjoy reading them. I hope so. I do not wish to lose the knowledge I have gained, for that would be a great sin.

Looking at them, one of them is the Bible which she talked at great length about, and which I had already read from front to back. Another one is called _Paradise Lost_, which she said I might like. The other one is a book of poetry by a man called Robert Frost. I hope I will be able to find meaning in these works. They look fascinating.


	6. Chapter 6

**January 16, 1997**

Two weeks ago, a band of white men came over. They were not missionaries, like Mrs. Wembley, but scientists, they explained. They said that there was an epidemic of fever, and that if we wanted to survive we needed to be vaccinated. That is a strange thing, because no one from any of the other villages had told of any fever of some sort.

I was firmly against such a vaccination; my instincts told me that something was wrong about these people. I forbade Kamaria from taking it as well, but she did not need much goading from me. Many of the villagers, however, did line up to take this strange medicine, giving into the strange persuasions of those white men.

It is not that the medicine may be poison, but one never knows. The government right now here is very corrupt, and they are known to have deals with international companies far, far away. I have a suspicion that these people are working for these companies. There is much greed that resides outside our borders.

What has marked my suspicions? On the tents they reside in is a large symbol of red and white, with the word "UMBRELLA" marked underneath it in large letters. The scientists, thinking that no one knew English in this tribe (they used a few interpreters), spoke at length about a "virus," of which I am not sure what it is about. Not only that, but they referred to the villagers as "test subjects." I have only told Kamaria of these suspicions, but I'm not sure how much she understands.

In secret the villagers have dispatched me to the capital to see where these white men came from, because I am the only literate person here. I fear the worst.

Kamaria, stay safe. I will be back with God's will.


	7. Chapter 7

**January 21, 1997**

They would not talk to me. With some difficulty I managed to find the government buildings in the capital, but when I plead my case they simply referred me to another room, another building. It was infuriating…I could not understand why they did this.

Then, in the afternoon, when I decided I would go back to the Ministry of Health building to ask for more information, I came across a large, black Rolls-Royce parked in front of the building. That was not the thing that surprised me though. It was the image on its license plate that stopped me in my tracks: that red and white symbol that I had seen in my village.

I knew something was up. I rushed up to the building and was at the door when I bumped into a tall, white man who had just opened the door. He was rather old, and as I bumped into him the burly man behind me tackled me back, pinning me down with my arm behind my back. The old man approached, kicking me in the face:

"You filthy nigger. Don't you know who I am?"

I made no reply, feigning an ignorance of the language. Eventually he commanded his bodyguard to let go of me, but not before spitting in my face. I lay there, unmoving as they drove away. I knew that there was evil in this. I had to tell my people that this was a lie.


	8. Chapter 8

**February 2, 1997**

After the incident at the capital I arrived home without answers and without incident, only to find that the vans, the white men, the scientists were all gone. And with them gone, many of us villagers have fallen ill with a very strange disease. I have no doubt that it was caused by whatever they injected us with. Thankfully Kamaria resisted, along with a couple of my relatives and friends.

We take care of the sick as best as we can (except Kamaria, for she is with child). But this disease is…different. The people run very high fevers, and stay delirious. They grow large boils, almost greenish in color. Their voice grows hoarse, so hoarse that their speech is like the voice of death. Already five people have died.

Because their bodies were unclean, we burned them…it is an abomination in our culture, to burn instead of bury the dead, but we could not risk harming the earth around us. God have mercy on us for our deeds and the sick!

And through all this, the only ones untouched are those of us who were not injected by UMBRELLA, only twenty five of us. None of us are sick. Evil is afoot.


	9. Chapter 9

**February 10, 1997**

My God is dead. Kamaria is dead. My child is dead.

It started with the plague. We could not cure them. Our medicines quickly ran out, ineffective, and in the end they ran out. If it was any mercy, they died quickly. In just a day or two after the first chills and fever, they would pass, and we would burn them.

Those of us who were not sick were not well either. Chidike and Emeka ran away three days ago, unable to bear any of this hell any further. Furaha, my aunt, committed suicide, for it was too much for her. We buried her under the shade of the tree she enjoyed so much. Imani, my sister, was sick, but not with the plague that afflicted her. As for the rest of us, we were sick at heart, sick from exhaustion, even if physically we were as before.

It was noon when they came. Soldiers from America. There were four of them. They rounded us up at gunpoint and demanded to know if anyone could speak English.

I would have come up, but Kamaria came up. Her English was not very good, not as good as mine. I do not know why she approached them.

"Where are the villagers?"

"We are peaceful. Many of us are dead."

"Dead? From what? From the Ten Commandments Insurgency?"

We looked at each other in bewilderment. The Ten Commandments Insurgency was far away! Surely this was not the reason they were pointing guns at us!

"The Ten Commandments Insurgency is far away. There has been…disease. Many sick and dead," Kamaria continued in her simple English.

"What did they look like?" The officer continued.

"They had fever. Green things growing on them."

"Lady, you must be joking with me. Where are the terrorists you're hiding?" He roared.

"Sarge, I don't think this is the right village. These are civilians," one of the soldiers spoke up.

"Coen, shut the fuck up! They're obviously hiding terrorists. Who ever heard of such a story?"

I looked at that commander, and as his cruel eyes passed over I could see the lie in them. He, just like that soldier, knew that we had nothing to do with the terrorists. The soldier, defeated, bowed his head and did not glance up.

"I'll give you one last chance: Where are the terrorists?"

"What are—?"

The officer raised his rifle and shot Uzochi behind Kamaria. He fell backwards, blood staining the ground. We screamed and bowed down, praying to God that he would spare us from the fate.

"One last time! Where are the terrorists?"

"What the fuck was that for? There are no terrorists here!" The soldier shouted at the officer. He was our lone defender.

The officer and the other two soldiers with him pointed their rifles in turn at that soldier, who looked shocked at the treachery.

"Either you join us, or die along with them."

It was at this point that Faraji lost his mind. He ran forward with a yell, hoping to overtake the soldiers, but they were quick. A burst of flame, and he fell, body broken.

"See, they're dangerous! Open fire!"

I looked into the eyes of the defender as he shot me: They were eyes of hatred against the injustice against us. Eyes of burning fury at what he was forced to do. Perhaps that was why he spared me. He could not leave me unscathed, but I was alive. A bullet had torn my cheek, and two to my shoulder and thigh, knocking me down, but I was unharmed otherwise.

He might have thought he was doing me mercy, but I wish I was dead. I heard Kamaria's scream, something so wild and painful that it was if our child, _our unborn child_, was screaming along with her. She collapsed onto the ground along with the rest of us.

"Sarge, she's going into labor!" One of the soldiers shouted.

"Our orders were to leave no survivors."

Among the dead bodies of my brothers and friends I peeked, watching her collapsed onto the floor, holding her stomach in pain, and the soldiers standing where they were. But what kind of heart would it take to execute a woman with child? None of the soldiers could press the trigger…except for that demon. I closed my eyes as the shot rang out.

"That was for our slain comrades," I heard that officer say as the soldiers walked away and faded into the distance.

As soon as they were gone I dragged myself to Kamaria's side. Even with a bullet in her heart and a dying child still in her belly she was beautiful. I closed her eyes. I wanted to cry so badly, but I could not cry. It was the same force that had kept me from going with way Faraji did, the same force that drove me to preserve myself. I hated myself for it. Did not the Bible tell me that I should lay down my life for my friends? But what did they die for? Nothing.

I was alive. I could fight and take vengeance. And though the soldiers were American I knew this was not America's doing. It is the name that I swear to destroy until my last breath. For Kamaria, who I buried with my own hands underneath out home. For my brothers and sisters and friends who were slain without mercy. I will find out what it is, and I will destroy it.

I will not rest until **UMBRELLA **is destroyed.

* * *

**Thanks to Afro Spirit, who shared with me a bunch of thoughts and ideas. Although I had this scene planned out from the very beginning, I did like his account of Billy's action in his story, so I will credit him with some influence. **

**Note too, how this is Josh's longest entry. He struck me as a very strange man, a sensitive and elusive soul. My only conclusion was that he had some sort of release preventing him from completely losing it in the events of RE5, or even any event in his past. So I chose writing as his form of release.**

**Thus ends Josh's early history, but do not think it's over yet. We still have a ways to go before we meet Josh in the BSAA.  
**


End file.
